2 APRIL 1898, Page 23

On Veldt and Farm. By Frances Macnab. (Edward Arnold.) —Interesting

as this lady's striking experiences are, the economi- cal and political chapters in the book are the most valuable. Our author has collected the opinions of a great many different types of men in and about Bechuanaland. The general impres- sion we get from her thoughtful and reasonable chapters is that South Africa wants the "strong man," and that the "strong man" is not Kruger. All that Frances Macnab says on the Native question is sensible, if it does not help us much. The fact is that the ideal white man who treats his natives with the proper mixture of firmness and consideration is so rare as to be quite outside practical politics. The answer to the problem presented by the increasing Kaffir population is as yet unknown, except that the Kaffir will realise some day that he must work for what he can get. The chapters on farming, vine culture, and the great

want of the middleman in South African trading are full of sound reasoning and information. On Veldt and Farm is well written and well worth reading.